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World’s richest science prize hands out $22 million for research

4 December 2017

Morgan Freeman hosted the Breakthrough Awards on Sunday

Steve Jennings/Getty

By Valerie Jamieson in Palo Alto, California

Science’s richest prizes, the Breakthrough Awards, were presented at a star-studded ceremony in California last night. Seven prizes, each worth $3 million, were awarded to a total of 34 scientists and mathematicians in three categories — fundamental physics, life sciences and mathematics.